Bob graduated with Honors from Miami of Ohio (’81), joined the Marine Corps, graduated with Honors from Marine Amphibious Warfare School, earned a Master’s from Marine Command and Staff College (’96), was Commandant of the Marine Fellows to Penn State’s School of Business (’01-’02), was the only Marine other than General Randolph McCall Pate, the 21st Commandant of the Marine Corps, to serve as the Joint Staff Director of Logistics, served as Director of Logistics and Engineering for U.S. Central Command, commanded at the company, detachment, battalion, regiment, and group levels including on 6 deployments in Operation Desert Storm, the Adriatic Sea, Rwanda, East Timor, and as Commanding General, 1st Marine Logistics Group during combat in Iraq. In his final military assignment as Military Director to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Bob oversaw a staff of 32,000 civilians, contractors, and military personnel. After 36 years of service, he retired in 2017. Bob is now President and CEO of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, the nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military children, having awarded $120 million to 40,000 children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen. Bob has received many decorations, including the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, our nation’s highest non-combat military award and highest joint service decoration, awarded only while assigned to a joint activity, and the Legion of Merit, 1 of only 2 U.S. military decorations issued as a neck order (the other – the Medal of Honor), for “exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.”

Bill flew 75 combat missions in Korea in the C-46 and C-47 after various assignments in Europe, the Pacific, and North Africa during World War II, served as Chief of the Air Force Reserve, board chairman of the American Air Museum in Britain, United States Air Force Academy Research & Development Institution and USAF Falcon Foundation (chairman emeritus), and a director of the Air Force Academy Foundation, and received the United States Air Force Academy Distinguished Service Award. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal (with three oak clusters), and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Distinguished Public Service Medal. In business, Bill built homes for returning veterans and others in California which evolved into William Lyon Homes in Newport Beach, owned AirCal which merged with American Airlines, acquired Martin Aviation and established Lyon Air Museum at John Wayne Airport (home to 7 military warbirds including C-47 Willa Dean), and received numerous entrepreneurship and leadership awards. Philanthropically, he served as board chairman of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (30-year director), Orangewood Children’s Foundation, Boy Scouts of America Orange County Council, and Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way, on the President’s Cabinet of Chapman University, and at USC as a Lifetime University Trustee and on the board of the Marshall School of Business. Bill resides in Coto de Caza and turned 96 today.

Dan is a graduate of the California Maritime Academy (BS & Third Mate’s License ’88) and the Naval War College (’04), and holds a Master’s in Foreign Affairs and Strategic Studies and a Master’s in Computer Information Science. He earned his Naval Aviator Wings of Gold (’92) with orders to fly the F/A-18C Hornet supersonic carrier-capable fighter and attack combat aircraft, commanded the F-18 E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 27 aboard USS Kittyhawk, had 2 tours aboard USS Constellation with Strike Fighter Squadron 151, completed the Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program known as TOPGUN (‘97), commanded the “Royal Maces” when named the Navy’s best attack squadron, has over 3,500 F-18 flight hours and over 1,100 carrier landings, and commanded a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan. As a flag officer he was the assistant chief of staff and chief of staff for Strategy, Resources and Plans for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Naval Forces Africa and for Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet. He now commands the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group consisting of 7,000 sailors on 9 ships, including USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Bunker Hill, USS Zumwalt, 6 guided missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 23, and 80 aircraft of Carrier Air Wing ELEVEN. Dan was the 1997 Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific Adm. Wesley McDonald Junior Officer of the Year. His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Air Medal Strike/Flight (3), Combat Action Ribbon, and Battle E (3).

Upon graduating from high school, Fred enlisted in the U.S. Army in June 1943. He served in World War II as an infantryman in the 87th Division in Europe. The 87th’s first campaign was the Saar where the untested American troops held their ground against a German night attack. Moving eastward in a convoy, Fred was wounded in the head by a shrapnel fragment. He returned to the front for the Ardennes Campaign, fought hand-to-hand combat in snow 4 feet deep at -30° to -40° defending tank, artillery and infantry attacks, helping stop the Germans from reaching Antwerp in the Battle of the Bulge – the greatest land battle in American history led by General George Patton and a key to victory in Europe. The 87th’s third campaign was Rhineland, the crossing of the Rhyne and Mosel Rivers, where the “Butcher’s Bill” was terribly high, as many Americans gallantly paid with their lives as the horrific price of victory. His final campaign was Central Europe, taking the former German capitol of Weimar and the Buchenwald Death Camp, the site of the murder of millions of innocent victims. Fred’s decorations include a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Combat Infantry, Good Conduct, European Theater w/4 battle stars, and WWII Victory Medals. Fred is 98 and resides in Villa Park.

Jack was a Gunner’s Mate from 1942-46 in the Naval Armed Guard in World War II, a special Naval branch that defended merchant ships against enemy attack, on the troop transport ships USS Cape Meares in the Battle of the North Atlantic (’42-’43) and USAT Etolin in the South Pacific (’43-’45). Armed Guard service was fraught with danger, suffering, and staggering casualty rates, yet one veteran wrote “The Armed Guard hasn’t had as much publicity as the average two-headed calf.” Jack also served as a Gun Captain on the Edsall-class destroyer escort USS Finch as part of a Convoy Support Group of anti-submarine warships actively deployed to attack submarines while protecting convoys crossing the Atlantic between the East Coast and England, Ireland and France and back, helping end the war in Europe (’45) and the Pacific (’45-‘46) as the Finch patrolled from Hawaii through the Marshall Islands and the Mariana Islands (Aug. ’45). Allied prisoners captured on Corregidor from “hell-camps” on Formosa (now Taiwan) where they had been held under brutal conditions (’46). Jack is 94 and resides in Newport Beach.

Private First Class James McCloughan distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty from May 13th through 15th, 1969, while serving as a combat medic with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. On May 13th, with complete disregard for his life, McCloughan ran 100 meters in an open field through heavy fire to rescue a comrade too injured to move and carried him to safety. That same day, 2d Platoon was ordered to search the area near Nui Yon Hill when the platoon was ambushed by a large North Vietnamese Army force and sustained heavy casualties. Again, with complete disregard for his life and personal safety, Private First Class McCloughan led two Americans into safety of a trench while being wounded by shrapnel from a rocket propelled grenade. On May 14th, the platoon was once again ordered to move out towards Nui Yon Hill. McCloughan was wounded a second time by small arms fire and shrapnel from a rocket propelled grenade while rendering aid to two Soldiers in an open rice paddy. During the morning darkness of May 15th, Private First Class McCloughan knocked out a rocket-propelled grenade position with a grenade, fought and eliminated enemy soldiers, treated numerous casualties, kept two critically-wounded soldiers alive through the night, and organized the dead and wounded for evacuation at daylight. His timely and courageous actions were instrumental in saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. Private First Class McCloughan’s personal heroism, professional competence, and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Americal Division, and the United States Army.

On December 7, 1941 Lauren was a 21-year old fire controlman aboard the USS Arizona when Japanese warplanes attacked Pearl Harbor. He scrambled to the crow’s nest of Gun Turret No. 2 and began shooting back. The Arizona took a direct hit from a bomb killing most of its crew, the fire trapping Lauren and 5 gunnery mates. A sailor on the USS Vestal, also bombed and sinking, heaved a line that Lauren and mates secured. Dangling above the rising flames, all 6 crossed hand by hand to the Vestal, escaping death as the Arizona sank to her watery grave. After 7 months recovering from burns, Lauren was assigned to the destroyer USS Coghlan seeing action from the Aleutian Islands to the Philippines, including observing the return of General MacArthur to the Philippines. Lauren’s decorations include a Purple Heart, American Defense Service, China Service, Navy Occupation Service – Asia, World War II Victory, Navy Good Conduct, Asia Pacific Campaign and American Campaign Medals, and Combat Action and Philippine Liberation Ribbons. Of the Arizona’s 1,511 crewmen, 1,177 died in the explosion and fires. Of the 334 survivors of the attack, Lauren is 1 of 5 alive today and forever grateful he survived Pearl Harbor to live a full life. Lauren is 98 and resides in La Mirada.

Ted enlisted in the Air Force after the attack on Pearl Harbor, serving as an aviator in the Pacific, including Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines. One-third of his fellow pilots were lost due to accidents, weather and enemy fire. Ted preferred single pilot P-40 fighters to bombers, but also flew A-20 Havoc light bombers in New Guinea against Japanese military assets in the region. In six P-40 missions, he never saw the enemy, describing it as “duck hunting without the ducks.” His 72 missions in the A-20 included photography flights using a camera mount he invented to capture combat events to show to the American public. Ted’s photo of a plane getting shot down over water was featured in several books on WWII aerial warfare. His photos were also used to sell war bonds. He served in the USAF Reserve until 1972. Ted’s decorations include a Distinguished Flying Cross, 2 Air Medals, a Bronze Star (for photography), and American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific, World War II Victory, Philippine Liberation and National Defense Medals. Ted is 98 and resides in Newport Beach.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Thacker, Field Artillery, Battery A, distinguished himself while serving as the team leader of an Integrated Observation System collocated with elements of two Army of the Republic of Vietnam units at Fire Base 6. A numerically superior North Vietnamese Army force launched a well-planned dawn attack on the small, isolated, hilltop fire base. Employing rockets, grenades, flamethrowers, and automatic weapons, the enemy forces penetrated the perimeter defenses and engaged the defenders in hand-to-hand combat. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, 1st Lt. Thacker rallied and encouraged the U.S. and Republic of Vietnam soldiers in heroic efforts to repulse the enemy. He occupied a dangerously exposed observation position for a period of four hours while directing friendly air strikes and artillery fire against the assaulting enemy forces. His personal bravery and inspired leadership enabled the outnumbered friendly forces to inflict a maximum of casualties on the attacking enemy forces and prevented the base from being overrun. By late afternoon, the situation had become untenable. 1st Lt. Thacker organized and directed the withdrawal of the remaining friendly forces. With complete disregard for his personal safety, he remained inside the perimeter alone to provide covering fire with his M-16 rifle until all other friendly forces had escaped from the besieged fire base. Then, in an act of supreme courage, he called for friendly artillery fire on his own position to allow his comrades more time to withdraw safely from the area and, at the same time, inflict even greater casualties on the enemy forces. Although wounded and unable to escape from the area himself, he successfully eluded the enemy forces for eight days until friendly forces regained control of the fire base. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by 1st Lt. Thacker were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the military service.